Spelt Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic and Thyme

I’m always looking for new ideas to use spelt, barley and other substitutes of rice, because I love their crunchy consistency and their flavor, that in some way reminds me of nuts. The spelt salad I’m going to tell you about is one of my favorites.

Take the smell and colors of summer in the Mediterranean, then add a pinch of rural home cooking, and you’ll obtain a simple dish, but full of flavors and nutrients that will give you the energy you need to live your day in the right way.

Of course, you need time to cook the spelt and roast the tomatoes and garlic, but I assure you that this spelt salad is worth it! Plus, you can also eat it cold, just adding some fresh extra virgin olive oil and some leaves of basil. Yes, cooking your lunch break can be THAT EASY.

If you don’t like spelt, you can use bargain or brown rice, the result will be awesome anyway! And if you’re wandering about the roasted garlic, don’t panic! Your social relationships will not be affected by it! The garlic cooked in this way loses its strong and – sometimes- unpleasant flavor, and it becomes a delicate and digestible cream that will make your spelt salad unforgettable!

Spelt Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic and Thyme (4 servings)

1 kg mixed tomatoes

2 bulbs of garlic

400 gr. spelt

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

a bunch of thyme

1 tbsp of honey

zest of 1 lemon

LET’S DO IT!

Preheat the oven at 180° C ( 356°F).

Take a baking tray and cover it with baking paper. Then cut the biggest tomatoes in half, and leave the small ones as they are. Also cut the bulbs of garlic in half, without peeling them.

Place the vegetables on the baking tray, and season them with thyme, sea salt, black pepper, the honey, the zest of lemon and a generous supply of extra virgin olive oil. Roast them for about 40 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the spelt as suggested on the package. When it’s done, put it in a large pan and add some of the tomatoes (leave one or two of the big ones to decorate). Take the garlic and squeeze it on the spelt. The cloves will be creamy and very sweet. Now add the sauce you’ll find in the baking tray, then mix your spelt salad.

Decorate every bowl with a roasted tomato and, if you like, add some extra virgin olive oil and fresh leaves of basil.